Valdez, who covered the drug trade in the hotbed Sinaloa region, home to Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, the most notorious Drug Lord since the Medellin Cartel's Pablo Escabar, was aware of the vicious, ruthless violence of the El Chapo mercenaries, and what could be the cost in continually exposing the inner workings of the drug cartels in one of the least free presses in the world.

As Valdez arrived at the office of the Riodoce newspaper, Monday, May 15, he was ambushed as an unknown assailant fired multiple rounds striking the publisher. He died at the scene. Killings are so common within the region civilians can be seen, in the background, videotaping the scene.

Javier Valdez became the sixth journalist murdered in two months across the Sinoloa state as the war between free press and Cartel control escalates. As the journalists maintain the responsibility of exposing the story and in the Sinoloa state, the story remains the Cartels and the ruthless violence associated with the daily drug trade, with the Cartels retaliate by senseless, brutal, murders of those dedicated to exposing their tactics.

Valdez, rose in the journalist ranks during the 1990's when he began working for a local television station in Culiacan. A lifelong resident of the Sinaloa state, Valdez also had the unique perspective on the deterioration of his homeland and the rise of the Cartels and Cartel control. He began working at the newspaper, Noroeste, as a print journalist. In 1998, he became a correspondent, remaining in Sinoloa, for the Mexico City daily, La Jornada.

In 2003, Valdez and several other reporters formed the Riodoce, a weekly dedicated to crime and corruption in the Sinoloa state. He authored several books on aspects of the Cartel life and lifestyle including Miss Narco, which details the lives of the wives and girlfriends of the drug lords and the most significant book was "The Kids of the Drug Tarde: Children and teenagers in Mexican Drug Trafficking."

His investigative work seemed to penetrate the psyche of the upper echelon of the Cartel hierarchy. After Riodoce published series of pieces entitled "Hitman: Confession of an Assassin in Ciudad Juaraz" the offices were bombed. There were no injuries.

Two years later Valdez received the International Press Freedom Award of the Committee to Protect Journalists. He remained faithful to the cause which had destroyed his homeland and in his acceptance speech he called the violence of Mexican drug trafficking '"a tragedy that should shame us", blaming the citizenry of Mexico for giving the drug war its death and governments of the US and Mexico for giving the drug war its guns."'

Columbia University in 2011 awarded the newspaper founded by Valdez with Maria Moors Cabot Prize for journalism that contributes to "inter-American understanding."

The other seven murdered in 2017 include Carlos Alberto Garcia Martines, of Tecman, Colima representing Radiorama Colima murdered in February 2017;

Murdered in April 217 - Maximino Rodriguez Palacios, of La Paz, Baja California Dur, representing Colectivo Pericu who posted this message "Enough of Attacks Against the Press" online joining the thousands of media protesting the attacks on the Mexican media.

Haute Tease

Tony Jopia's highly anticipated comedy-horror hybrid Cute Little Buggers has found a home with Uncork'd Entertainment and High Octane Pictures, respectively. Uncork'd has acquired rights to the film in U.S and Canada, while High Octane has the rest of the world.

Academy Award® Winner Vanessa Redgrave and Golden Globe® Nominee Joely Richardson are headlining an all-star cast in the adaptation of Henry James’s novel The Aspern Papers. Julien Landais is directing from an adaptation he wrote with Jean Pavans and Hannah Bhuiya.

ConnecteDevice is excited to announce that the cookoo™ watch is launching on Kickstarter. The cookoo watch is wearable technology that extends your smartphone to your wrist. It’s a traditional timepiece with a high-tech twist to help you manage your connected life.

Crime

The final two missing from last week’s gas explosion on Manhattan’s Lower East Side have been pulled from the rubble days after an alleged illegal gas tap set off a massive seven alarm inferno that killed two and injured 25.

Chicago’s bloody rampage continued Monday with a sharp spike in shootings and with five days before New Year’s Eve the 61 shootings, 50 wounded and 11 homicides, over the three-day holiday weekend bring the 2016 total to 785 homicides.

Steven Pratt, after completing a 30 year sentence for murder, returned to his Atlantic City home to a party in his honor only to turn the festivities into tragedy with the horrific murder of his mother who planned the celebration.

Theatre, Music, Books

San Diego, California, For Immedite Release - The San Diego Jazz Festtakes place November 26-November 30 and will feature over thirty bands and guest artists from across the U.S. playing for dancing and listening in seven venues.

Mick Jones of The Clash, one of the most established and respected figures in British pop music, has opened his Rock and Roll Public Library as part of the 56th Venice Biannale releasing a very limited edition of up tempo instrumentals called 'Ex Libris'.

Celebrities, family and friends of the late Jerry and Elaine Orbach gathered recently, at The Snapple Theater Center in Manhattan’s Theater District, to honor them with readings from their newly released book, “Remember How I Love You - Love Letters From An Extraordinary Marriage.”

(HOLLYWOOD, CA., MEDIA ALERT)--- Colossal. Stupendous. Epic. These Hollywood adjectives became clichés long ago. When used to describe the films of Cecil B. DeMille, they are accurate. This producer-director captured a worldwide audience with The King of Kings, The Sign of the Cross, The Greatest Show on Earth;Samson and Delilah, and The Ten Commandments.